中国科学院近代物理研究所是根据1956年周总理指示设立的原子核科学研究基地，前身为1957年成立的中国科学院兰州物理研究室，1962年正式使用现名。 近代物理所先后建成了1.5米回旋加速器、大型分离扇回旋加速器、兰州放射性束流线、兰州重离子加速器冷却储存环等大科学装置，在加速器研制方面拥有雄厚的技术和人才储备。1991年8月，原国家计委批准成立兰州重离子加速器国家实验室，依托近代物理所管理，面向国内外开放。
近代物理所拥有320kV高电荷态综合研究平台、大功率电子加速器等重要科研设施及装置，在实验平台方面拥有不可替代的优势。建有甘肃省同位素实验室、甘肃省重离子束辐射医学应用基础重点实验室等多个物理学研究基地。在研的国家自然科学基金、国家重大科学仪器研制、国家重点研发计划和中科院各类科技项目约500项。近代物理所是国务院学位委员会批准的博士、硕士学位授予权单位之一，为国内外培养了大量核物理及相关专业的优秀人才，每年在学研究生约450人。
近代物理所引领我国重离子科学与技术和加速器驱动核能技术的发展，取得了以新核素合成、原子核质量精确测量为代表的一批重大基础研究成果，在超导离子源、加速器驱动核能等方面获得了一系列关键技术突破，转化了重离子治癌、辐照诱变育种等多项重离子辐照技术，实现了大型医疗设备重离子肿瘤治疗专用装置的国产化。近代物理所高度重视自身科研和技术优势的转移转化，积极寻求为地方的经济和科技发展做出自己的贡献。
The Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is a nuclear science research base established in 1956 at the instructions of Premier Zhou, formerly known as the Lanzhou Physics Research Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences established in 1957, and officially used its current name in 1962. The Institute of Modern Physics has successively built large scientific devices such as a 1.5-meter cyclotron, a large separation fan cyclotron, a radioactive beam streamline in Lanzhou, and a cooling storage ring for heavy ion accelerators, and has a strong technical and talent reserve in the development of accelerators. In August 1991, the former State Planning Commission approved the establishment of the Lanzhou Heavy Ion Accelerator National Laboratory, which is managed by the Institute of Modern Physics and is open to domestic and foreign countries.
The Institute of Modern Physics has important scientific research facilities and devices such as a 320kV high-charge state comprehensive research platform and a high-power electron accelerator, and has an irreplaceable advantage in the experimental platform. There are many physics research bases such as Gansu Isotope Laboratory and Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Beam Radiation Medical Application. There are about 500 national natural science foundations, national major scientific instrument development, national key research and development programs and various scientific and technological projects of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in research. The Institute of Modern Physics is one of the units authorized by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council to award doctoral and master's degrees, and has trained a large number of outstanding talents in nuclear physics and related majors at home and abroad, with about 450 graduate students every year.
The Institute of Modern Physics has led the development of heavy ion science and technology and accelerator-driven nuclear energy technology in China, achieved a number of major basic research achievements represented by new nuclide synthesis and accurate measurement of atomic nucleus mass, obtained a series of key technological breakthroughs in superconducting ion sources and accelerator-driven nuclear energy, transformed a number of heavy ion irradiation technologies such as heavy ion cancer treatment, irradiation mutagenesis breeding, and realized the localization of special devices for heavy ion tumor treatment in large-scale medical equipment. The Institute of Modern Physics attaches great importance to the transfer and transformation of its own scientific research and technological advantages, and actively seeks to make its own contributions to the local economic and technological development.